Why “Ok, Boomer” is not oppressive
“Ok, boomer” is a simple, two-word phrase that invites feelings of indignation yet continues to grow in popularity. It has been compared to hate speech, oppression, and (as some argue) signifies “the end of friendly generational relations”. This would be a fitting title if generational relations were friendly in the first place.
In the same New York Times article that suggests “ok, boomer” is indicative of “anti-boomer sentiment”, it is also acknowledged that “teenagers use it to reply to … any person over 30 who says something condescending about young people”. Labels like “poor little snowflake”, “The Me Me Me Generation”, “selfish”, “narcissistic”, “entitled”, and “lazy” have been used to attack Millennials for years. Millennials have been accused of killing industries and pushing politically correct agendas that are non-problems. It is hard to agree that the barrage of criticism towards this age group could be considered a “friendly generational relation”. The conflict between older generations and newer generations began a long time ago, but it is only now that this feud is truly surfacing.
Nonetheless, the response to “ok, boomer” has been swift and hard. Uttering the phrase can cost someone their job in the United States, according to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). Yet, what is interesting about this section on Age Discrimination is that it only protects “older persons”- specifically those above 40 years of age. This means that the phrase “ok, boomer” is illegal, but other terms (“special snowflakes”, “the Me Me Me generation”) directed towards anyone 39 or below are acceptable.
Now, this is not to say that the indignation towards “ok, boomer” is unwarranted. The older generations have their fair share of problems; “half of Americans approaching age 65 have less than $25,000 in savings. One in four don’t even have $1,000”. Belittling labels harm anyone that receive them. However, it is exactly because indignation is warranted that “ok, boomer” became popularized – Millennials are not acting out of entitlement, but retaliation. This is a generation of people that are frustrated that their concerns continue to be dismissed (like gun control and climate change) under labels such as “special snowflake”.
As the old adage goes, “treat others the way you want to be treated”. That begins with protecting all age groups against discrimination – not just a select few.
Millennials are more similar to Boomers than critics realize. In “Why it’s time to ditch the ‘OK Boomer’ meme”, Bhaskar Sunkra argues that older workers do not need “rich kids shouting ‘OK Boomer’ at them”. However, she grossly misunderstands the demographic that popularized this term. According to TransUnion, “millennials … overtake boomers in total debt holdings”. Furthermore, the Pew Research Center found that “while young adults in general do not have much accumulated wealth, millennials have slightly less wealth than boomers did”. Millennials are far from “rich kids” – they are weighed down by financial burdens just as Boomers are.
Admittedly, generational banter is a heavy overgeneralization to begin with. The idea that people of a group – despite diversity in race, gender, socioeconomic background, political affiliations, education, and geographic descent – are all the same based off of a broad age range (millennials can differ in almost 20 years of age) is hard to believe. Nonetheless, this idea is pervasive. Hours before writing this, I was screamed at for being “an idiot” by an elderly gentleman for not knowing that my local bank would be closed for Remembrance Day (a holiday that pays respect to members of the Canadian armed forces) on the basis that I was a young, stupid, and disrespectful Millennial. Little did he know was that I was trying to access an ATM, which are usually open to the public outside of branch hours, to make a donation for Remembrance Day. It is depressing that a broad, diverse group of people can be lumped together for inconsequential traits they share, but it exists.
Generational relations were never friendly to begin with. People from every side of the argument will try to prove that they are in the right, but there is one thing they all seem to agree on: slandering people due to age is just not fair. Instead of using the phrase “ok, boomer” to further fuel stereotypes and age-based disrespect, there is a more promising course of action. Perhaps now is the time to ask if young people deserve to have the same legal protection and respect that their elderly counterparts do – alongside the treatment that they have been rightfully fighting for.
